2000 years ago, there were many players on the stage leading to the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Among them were the Roman overloads and their lackeys, the priests, Pharisees and scribes, the mob, zealots, the disciples, and the Christ.
The zealots dreamed of the coming Messiah riding at the head of an army driving the Romans out of Jerusalem, and reining in there place. What they mostly did was attack people whom they considered sympathizers to the Romans, in other words they attacked those they claimed to be fighting for, much the way modern terrorist routinely attack what they consider soft targets. Some scholars believe Judas, a zealot, betrayed Jesus in an attempt to force Him to start this final war.
It is sad the Hutaree, the so called Christian militia making news this last week, did not learn the lesson Judas offers them. Evan if everything their paranoia led them to believe is true; they still chose Judas as a model for their actions. Evan if they plotted to kill no one, they still advocated buying guns for the coming battle and taught themselves to kill. Give them every benefit of the doubt and they still betray Christ and give fuel to all who would discredit Him. They ignore the command “Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.” Eph 6:10,
And the admonition, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,” Eph 6:12a.
Repent, you zealots, turn from your own fear and fear and trust in the Lord. It is the beginning of wisdom for you.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thou Shall Not Lie
In the eighties I lived in a little town in Wisconsin about sixty miles north of Madison. I used to go to this dinner on highway 51 to drink coffee where in the corner James Wickstrom used to sit, holding court, recruiting for the Posse Comitatus, a pre cursor of the militia patriot movement.
They believed in the threat of a New World Order led by a cabal of the usual suspects, bankers, and politicians, the U.N. They held that all federal authority was in cahoots with, or were at least unwitting goons controlled by the cabal and therefore enemies of the people, i.e. the Posse and like-minded individuals. They called on all God fearing patriots to rise up against this insidious plot. They particularly didn’t like the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) and judges, particularly the ones that their members came up against in a court of law and found them guilty of various crimes, or the ones that had a liberal civil rights record or pro DNR rulings.
I remember a mimeographed flyer in particular showing a judge lynched from a light pole and something about citizens rising up in righteous indignation. The Posse also had connections with some group called The Order, if I recall, advocating the use of black people as farm animals and killing Jews out right. The thing that all these New World Order nut jobs had in common was the belief in the Jewish bankers behind it all.
Do I have to say it? These Hutaree people are whacked. God does not call anyone to arm themselves for the coming end times.
Thou Shall Not Kill. There are no exceptions made in the command. There is no arming one’s self just in case God changes his mind. Plea self defense, plea anything you want, but it is not a Christian act to arm oneself with assault rifles and practice killing in the name of God.
Please, beloved, do not be silent about this, about some one on Facebook playing lip service to the idea that this is God fearing, that the idea of a Jewish cabal behind the destruction of the World Trade Center is anything less than racism, that it was an inside job is anything less than right wing paranoid propaganda. God does not call us to shoot abortion doctors or excuse people who do. We are not called to vilify our political opponents. Quit listening to these blow hard radio people who exhibit the opposite of Christian values. Baring false witness is sin. Spreading unfounded propaganda is baring false witness.
You who call yourselves spiritual, leaders of the church, or at least your congregations, call sin a sin, be a light in the darkness, do not listen to false prophets and say nothing.
They believed in the threat of a New World Order led by a cabal of the usual suspects, bankers, and politicians, the U.N. They held that all federal authority was in cahoots with, or were at least unwitting goons controlled by the cabal and therefore enemies of the people, i.e. the Posse and like-minded individuals. They called on all God fearing patriots to rise up against this insidious plot. They particularly didn’t like the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) and judges, particularly the ones that their members came up against in a court of law and found them guilty of various crimes, or the ones that had a liberal civil rights record or pro DNR rulings.
I remember a mimeographed flyer in particular showing a judge lynched from a light pole and something about citizens rising up in righteous indignation. The Posse also had connections with some group called The Order, if I recall, advocating the use of black people as farm animals and killing Jews out right. The thing that all these New World Order nut jobs had in common was the belief in the Jewish bankers behind it all.
Do I have to say it? These Hutaree people are whacked. God does not call anyone to arm themselves for the coming end times.
Thou Shall Not Kill. There are no exceptions made in the command. There is no arming one’s self just in case God changes his mind. Plea self defense, plea anything you want, but it is not a Christian act to arm oneself with assault rifles and practice killing in the name of God.
Please, beloved, do not be silent about this, about some one on Facebook playing lip service to the idea that this is God fearing, that the idea of a Jewish cabal behind the destruction of the World Trade Center is anything less than racism, that it was an inside job is anything less than right wing paranoid propaganda. God does not call us to shoot abortion doctors or excuse people who do. We are not called to vilify our political opponents. Quit listening to these blow hard radio people who exhibit the opposite of Christian values. Baring false witness is sin. Spreading unfounded propaganda is baring false witness.
You who call yourselves spiritual, leaders of the church, or at least your congregations, call sin a sin, be a light in the darkness, do not listen to false prophets and say nothing.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Happy Birthday Julie
Today’s blog is dedicated to Julie, my fabulous occupational therapist who heals people and makes them smile at the Jessie Brown VA on Damen, with out which my fingers would not be able to negotiate these keys allowing me to write a coherent sentence. She is an angle, though if she’s wearing a disguise, I can’t tell, although she might be dressed as a flower child from the sixties.
Happy birthday Julie from a great big fan.
Happy birthday Julie from a great big fan.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Being Civil
In an unprecedented move, Christians from both sides of the isle signed a document pledging civility towards one another. They further agreed not to disparage each other with lies and innuendo.
The admonition to “love one another” was brought to their attention by its stark absence in the health care debate. “That’s right,” said one surprised follower of Christ. “We’re supposed to be nice to each other, aren’t we?”
With the mention of Glen Beck, a prominent Mormon and commentator, it was disclosed mister Beck is outside the pale and therefore not covered by the Civility Covenant, allowing him to be disparaged with impunity.
In an opposing argument some well-known Christian leaders sighted The Almighty’s wraths and judgment over blatant sin.
"Look what happened to Haiti and Godless New Orleans. “If you love me, you will obey my word.” They said, quoting such prominent personalities as Charles Manson and David Koresh. “It’s a passing fad. I’m sure in due time we’ll return to the fundamentally rigid views of our past. This notion of tolerance of views in opposition to the right ones has got to stop.”
The admonition to “love one another” was brought to their attention by its stark absence in the health care debate. “That’s right,” said one surprised follower of Christ. “We’re supposed to be nice to each other, aren’t we?”
With the mention of Glen Beck, a prominent Mormon and commentator, it was disclosed mister Beck is outside the pale and therefore not covered by the Civility Covenant, allowing him to be disparaged with impunity.
In an opposing argument some well-known Christian leaders sighted The Almighty’s wraths and judgment over blatant sin.
"Look what happened to Haiti and Godless New Orleans. “If you love me, you will obey my word.” They said, quoting such prominent personalities as Charles Manson and David Koresh. “It’s a passing fad. I’m sure in due time we’ll return to the fundamentally rigid views of our past. This notion of tolerance of views in opposition to the right ones has got to stop.”
Friday, March 26, 2010
Calling
So, I haven’t written in the blog for days and now I’m getting guilty and that just makes things more difficult. I start thinking I’m somehow betraying somebody or myself because I feel this supposed to vibe.
Of course it’s me giving it out, maybe all the time, thinking there’s always something I’m supposed to be doing that I’m not. The problem is I think that’s accurate, that there’s always some call I’m not heeding, always some lack in myself. Understandable seeing I am a finite being and woefully incapable of understanding everything and, to my way of thinking, it’s kind of silly to think I’m not screwing something up, proceeding with not enough information down a path with a fork in the road every time I blink.
I mean, isn’t it true? I face countless decisions every day, probably most of which I don’t even take the time to notice I’ve decided anything at all, doing things because that’s the way I do them, living life with a mostly unconscious, barely examined, or even acknowledged pride in my own way of thinking.
I am a man, after all. I’ve been around the block more then a few times and have gained a certain amount of street smarts, some bit of gut instinct that, in all honesty, has helped out quite a bit over the years. However, the statement falls apart if examined even a little bit. We do not use the words we use by accident. They have meaning beyond our intended discourse. To use a literary term, we are unreliable narrators of our own stories, leavening unintended clues behind often disclosing the opposite of what we claim. This phrase, “I’ve been around the block a few times,” used to convey a wider understanding then that of the average Joe, totally misses the fact “Been around the block” is a uniquely individual and local event and fails to acknowledge the wider world I have not been around. It doesn’t matter how big the block is, it’s still just my block lived in isolation. The truth is, everything I know is suspect.
The truth is I will never have enough information, will never run out of things I’m supposed to be doing, there will always be something I’m called to that I haven’t started yet, always a place to go He will show me.
That’s a good thing. It would be kind of boring otherwise, don’t you think?
Of course it’s me giving it out, maybe all the time, thinking there’s always something I’m supposed to be doing that I’m not. The problem is I think that’s accurate, that there’s always some call I’m not heeding, always some lack in myself. Understandable seeing I am a finite being and woefully incapable of understanding everything and, to my way of thinking, it’s kind of silly to think I’m not screwing something up, proceeding with not enough information down a path with a fork in the road every time I blink.
I mean, isn’t it true? I face countless decisions every day, probably most of which I don’t even take the time to notice I’ve decided anything at all, doing things because that’s the way I do them, living life with a mostly unconscious, barely examined, or even acknowledged pride in my own way of thinking.
I am a man, after all. I’ve been around the block more then a few times and have gained a certain amount of street smarts, some bit of gut instinct that, in all honesty, has helped out quite a bit over the years. However, the statement falls apart if examined even a little bit. We do not use the words we use by accident. They have meaning beyond our intended discourse. To use a literary term, we are unreliable narrators of our own stories, leavening unintended clues behind often disclosing the opposite of what we claim. This phrase, “I’ve been around the block a few times,” used to convey a wider understanding then that of the average Joe, totally misses the fact “Been around the block” is a uniquely individual and local event and fails to acknowledge the wider world I have not been around. It doesn’t matter how big the block is, it’s still just my block lived in isolation. The truth is, everything I know is suspect.
The truth is I will never have enough information, will never run out of things I’m supposed to be doing, there will always be something I’m called to that I haven’t started yet, always a place to go He will show me.
That’s a good thing. It would be kind of boring otherwise, don’t you think?
Friday, March 19, 2010
A Wing And A Prayer
I’m trying everything I can think of, including this blog, to find a freelance writing gig. Professionally, I have no experience. I have been writing for over thirty years, have a degree, had a few thing published. And now here I am, flying on a wing and a prayer.
In my experience with life and spiritual things, God likes sudden death overtimes. He likes to wait until the last moment before He sends in the reinforcements. I hope that’s not what He’s waiting for. I hope more He’s not giving me over into the hands of the Philistines, another thing He has been known to do. The trouble with delusion is, you’re deluded and you don’t recognize it.
That’s also the trouble with being human. We are finite creature trying to decide the right thing to do with only a tiny fraction of the facts. We delude ourselves, sighting our supposedly big brains and reason and science and our five senses into believing we can figure at least some of life out. We think since we know that one and one make two we can jump to the conclusion that one thing and another thing make something we can define categorically, systematically naming its parts and catalogue it and write every thing in a book so we can tell ourselves we have the facts, inconvertible truth that we know what we’re talking about.
The difference between people of faith and those not making the claim is not that people of faith don’t claim to know, but that we make it with the knowledge our claim is suspect, that there is something greater out there than us we hope is good or at least benign. If we understand at all we try and live with the idea it is only in part that we know and there is far more mystery than understanding.
So I don’t know. Maybe I was given time to write. Maybe I’m just taking it because I can’t figure out anything else to do? I’m taking it on faith that all things work together for good for those in Christ Jesus. I don’t get to know before hand. Sometimes I don’t get to know after. Frankly I don’t always have enough information to recognize the good if it did happen.
I think if you’re honest with yourself, neither do you. How many times in your life have things you thought sucked turned out to be the best thing ever. I think living by faith is part of the human condition and we only get to choose what we have faith in.
So I'm open for employment, having faith I've at least demonstrated my talent for creative problem solving and writing a coherent sentence.
In my experience with life and spiritual things, God likes sudden death overtimes. He likes to wait until the last moment before He sends in the reinforcements. I hope that’s not what He’s waiting for. I hope more He’s not giving me over into the hands of the Philistines, another thing He has been known to do. The trouble with delusion is, you’re deluded and you don’t recognize it.
That’s also the trouble with being human. We are finite creature trying to decide the right thing to do with only a tiny fraction of the facts. We delude ourselves, sighting our supposedly big brains and reason and science and our five senses into believing we can figure at least some of life out. We think since we know that one and one make two we can jump to the conclusion that one thing and another thing make something we can define categorically, systematically naming its parts and catalogue it and write every thing in a book so we can tell ourselves we have the facts, inconvertible truth that we know what we’re talking about.
The difference between people of faith and those not making the claim is not that people of faith don’t claim to know, but that we make it with the knowledge our claim is suspect, that there is something greater out there than us we hope is good or at least benign. If we understand at all we try and live with the idea it is only in part that we know and there is far more mystery than understanding.
So I don’t know. Maybe I was given time to write. Maybe I’m just taking it because I can’t figure out anything else to do? I’m taking it on faith that all things work together for good for those in Christ Jesus. I don’t get to know before hand. Sometimes I don’t get to know after. Frankly I don’t always have enough information to recognize the good if it did happen.
I think if you’re honest with yourself, neither do you. How many times in your life have things you thought sucked turned out to be the best thing ever. I think living by faith is part of the human condition and we only get to choose what we have faith in.
So I'm open for employment, having faith I've at least demonstrated my talent for creative problem solving and writing a coherent sentence.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Process Talk
I’m editing a first draft of a typical first week aboard a SSBN. I think that stands for submarine ship ballistic nuclear.
I’m doing a lot of slashing and burning, which is probably good. I don’t want it to bog things down but I need to let the audience in on how things are done and where thing are, give them a general overview of sub life so later on it doesn’t distract from what’s going on.
It’s been a very long process writing this novel and it’s kind of a relief seeing an end in sight. I’ve been working on it maybe ten years, off and on. Life and work kept getting in the way.
It started out as a first person thing. I was thinking Moby Dick. The first line was even, “Call me Paradise.” And I started out following Melville’s movement. I didn’t follow it close, but I thought about Moby Dick all the time. It’s still there floating around somewhere in my brain when I work on this, which might be the same thing as saying, when I’m awake. I don’t think my book would have been possible with out it. So, thanks, Herman.
I got 198 type-written, double space, 12 point pages before I decided it had to be third person. For one thing Danny Paradise couldn’t get the parts right when he got too drunk. There were also forces working behind the scenes that I wanted to comment on Danny knew nothing about. Danny is little more than a kid grappling with issues far beyond him and from his point of view he is just stumbling through. First person was too confining for the story I’m trying to tell.
I started over at the beginning. No cutting and pasting. I had the first person draft, which I had spent time polishing, at my side, but I retyped every word. Switching to third person opened the novel up far beyond Danny's ability to describe or comprehend. I think it will make for a better, weightier novel. Hopefully you will be able to tell me some day in the not to distant future.
I’m doing a lot of slashing and burning, which is probably good. I don’t want it to bog things down but I need to let the audience in on how things are done and where thing are, give them a general overview of sub life so later on it doesn’t distract from what’s going on.
It’s been a very long process writing this novel and it’s kind of a relief seeing an end in sight. I’ve been working on it maybe ten years, off and on. Life and work kept getting in the way.
It started out as a first person thing. I was thinking Moby Dick. The first line was even, “Call me Paradise.” And I started out following Melville’s movement. I didn’t follow it close, but I thought about Moby Dick all the time. It’s still there floating around somewhere in my brain when I work on this, which might be the same thing as saying, when I’m awake. I don’t think my book would have been possible with out it. So, thanks, Herman.
I got 198 type-written, double space, 12 point pages before I decided it had to be third person. For one thing Danny Paradise couldn’t get the parts right when he got too drunk. There were also forces working behind the scenes that I wanted to comment on Danny knew nothing about. Danny is little more than a kid grappling with issues far beyond him and from his point of view he is just stumbling through. First person was too confining for the story I’m trying to tell.
I started over at the beginning. No cutting and pasting. I had the first person draft, which I had spent time polishing, at my side, but I retyped every word. Switching to third person opened the novel up far beyond Danny's ability to describe or comprehend. I think it will make for a better, weightier novel. Hopefully you will be able to tell me some day in the not to distant future.
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